Walmart Accused of Punishing Workers For Sick Days, Pregnancy

Walmart once again finds itself at the center of a controversy surrounding the treatment of its employees. While the superstore had made a seemingly positive step toward a better working environment in 2015 when it announced a raise in minimum wage, a report Thursday accuses the store of punishing employees for taking sick days, among other grievances.

The report, released by a worker's advocacy group, says Walmart regularly refuses to accept doctor's notes, punishes employees who need to take care of sick family members, and otherwise punishes workers for lawful absences, the New York Times reports. Last month, the same advocacy group, A Better Balance, also filed a lawsuit against Walmart for allegedly discriminating against pregnant employees.

Advertisement - Continue Reading Below

In one case, a woman who had pregnancy complications that ended in a miscarriage went into work while she was still bleeding because her prior doctor's visits had not been approved and she feared losing her job. Her account and dozens of others are detailed in the report.

If the claims are true, Walmart is in violation of worker protection laws including the Americans With Disabilities Act and the Family and Medical Leave Act. The report was based on a survey of more than 1,000 employees, but could be impacting many more, as Walmart is the largest private employer in the country.

Walmart told the Times it had not reviewed the report but disputed its claims. Spokesperson Randy Hargrove said this: "We understand that associates may have to miss work on occasion, and we have processes in place to assist them."